It’s common that people call each other “snowflake” back and forth, these days. I understand the term is insulting and dismissive. But it does seem to describe a certain kind of person, which I don’t think even existed thirty or even twenty years ago.
I am not sure that people agree on who earns this label. This is what I wanted to discuss.
A snowflake has no substance. It’s easily defeated. One thing I notice about legions of people these days; is if you say something – ANYTHING – they don’t like, it ends the conversation. This so weird to me.
You can’t learn or grow or compare or come to understand another human being if an alternate or opposing opinion if you block communication. It’s like going through life wearing noise-canceling headphones. I don’t know why anyone would choose that.
Here we are, with a great big Internet. We have the opportunity to talk to people around the globe. Rather than taking advantage of this gigantic area in which we can operate, we take the opposite stance and sort and separate people as they were beans or something equally mundane.
Jupiter in Sagittarius invites us to open up and live. Yes we need rules and limits. But there are a lot of people living on what may as well be the head of a pin.
I think that’s what a “snowflake” is. It can only exist is a controlled environment.
I remember people being a lot more robust. It would never occur to the average person to punish someone for a thought they had or decided to express.
I remember when terrariums were the rage. They’re cool and all, but what human being would want to be sealed off like that?
Are you a “snowflake” (to any degree)?
How bad is it?
Are you interested in changing your status?
“Snowflake” may have different definitions. I think yours is very interesting and I haven’t heard it before.
Mine of “special snowflake” at my work boils down to “this person is so special and privileged that they don’t have to follow the rules everyone else does.”
I believe your definition is different. The one Elsa used is what I am familiar with, but you did mention that yourd is a workplace definition.
This has been my understanding of the definition of “snowflake”. I thought it applied more to the millenial generation who were raised on participation trophies and believed they were special individuals entitled to everything! Since their views are more left leaning, the term became broadly applied to everyone in the liberal left camp?
I know a woman who is in her mid 60’s and she was evicted from her long term rental. She was facing homelessness, and I told her realtor about a home buying program that she qualified for. They found her a home and I tried to share organization and filing tips so she could gain some control of her finances.
She thanked me by commenting on a Facebook post I made about my grandmother who was brought to the U.S. as a child and never received citizenship. My grandmother was threatened with deportation as an elderly woman in her 80’s and my mother had to plead with the state dept. to let her stay. I did not mention my political view, just my experience but I did credit President Reagan with the outcome we were thankful for. This woman commented that only legal immigrants are welcomed and her support for President Trump. This hurt my cousin badly to read what this woman posted, and she replied to this woman who proceeded to have a meltdown and she hurled insults at my cousin.
I did not say anything to the woman, because I know that she is not of sound mind and suffers from extreme depression. Which is what I have the most difficulty dealing with because I know quite a few women who refuse to have any sort of discussion about anything because if you do not agree with them, they throw the ” I’m so depressed and I am going to throw a tantrum, how dare you insult me? Now I am more depressed, boo hoo hoo”. Meanwhile, the only insulting done is by said depressed person who insists upon raining all over your parade.
I was also unfriended on Facebook for pointing out a Little Timmy saluting the flag was banned by Facebook fake meme that a retired submarine commander I know posted. I kindly let the poster know that if it does not make sense, it is most likely a form of fake news designed to incite and inflame tempers, and that nothing of the sort was ever banned by FB.
I can’t stand those professional victim types and would definitely call it out if I was in the vicinity of a Trump supporter who acted like that… Also being of that free market sort of leaning but not in America.
I thought a “snowflake” was a superficial & fluffy person that melts away when landing. Sort of inconsequential type.
By Elsa’s defintion, I suppose I can be a snowflake sometimes. I don’t like to argue. If people have their ideas I don’t try to make them change, I just listen.
If someone is presenting me new & different ideas I’m not against it. I’m curious by nature, so anything new is interesting. But as far as twisting my arm about something I don’t like, I’m not very supple.
There has been a Heightened “sensitivity”. I think the realization of seeing The “core” of someone when they are expressing their views is Valid. So many have experience with psychology as well and have learned to remove themselves from harmful ,disruptive energies. So I think this might be why so many are “snow flakes”.
I like this, because I think its ok to not want to engage in an argument. Theres many reasons for not wanting to have a debate. Personally I have better shit to do than try to convince someone that Im right.
Ill listen to any viewpoint as long as you’re respectful about it. I love talking to people who are different from me.
Theres a level I cant go to though. Like I literally do not know how to interact, when its about tearing the other person down. I see where that road ends and it aint pretty. Nothing gets accomplished and everybody is worse off. Why does it have to get so personal? I see people putting winning (ego) by force over the truth. That hasnt gone well in the past. Everyone ends up worse off.
To me, a great discussion, and one that I like to engage in is not about winning. Its about expanding your mind. A good discussion with opposing viewpoints either shows you where you are wrong or galvanizes your existing viewpoint. At the end of it, both parties feel more whole, because their consciousness has been doubled. Now, I have the wisdom of my own experience and yours and vice versa! We both won, even if we continue to disagree.
But I think the whole thing boils down to fear. Some people are afraid. If youre so convinced of your viewpoint and its so rock solid, then why is a threat to hear someone else out? I think people are afraid that their going to be indoctrinated.
I only know it as a political identifier:
snowflake = liberal
cornflake = conservative
I literally am surrounded by snowflakes on the internet. I just had a facebook conversation with a woman. She said something personal, like THEY ALWAYS DO. They always throw something personal… Glass houses much? This was after a pattern of saying about three personal things that were so strange I had no reference to respond. I responded to this last thing she said with ‘maybe it’s you that is objecting to x’, that’s it, nothing else! and a generally positive post after that.
Blocked, she’s gone now. I used to set up a bookmark for people on twitter that block me because I just wanted to remember somehow but… It got over a hundred and I stopped using that browser, and I couldn’t be bothered to do it after that.
You can block everyone that you want but… if you do so you cannot then bring them around to your way of viewing the world. If someone wants to block all people that are not left wing, hence living in an echo chamber, their sense of reality is really going to get disturbed as more and more right wing policies come in, and they are going to have to learn to deal with people in their personal reality that are not left wing… and there will be consequences for evasiveness and stupidity in these areas.
It’s worth appreciating when these things do not go to crap though. I’ve just tweeted someone with this. The conversation ended, or at least has not continued for about 24 hours, when I asked for a source and no one responded… This is Brexit and Remain:
“OK, so I think that’s the end of that then. I appreciate that this ‘debate’, although not massively productive, has remained respectful and neither side has blocked the other or acted like children. Whichever way it goes we need to live in a civil society.”
I think it’s important when liberal people acknowledge reacting to something irrationally and emotionally.. or doing what they call others on doing. It is important to know how to argue well. Not everyone learns rhetoric or logic. Rather than be a victim. My best friend’s ex used to blame a past trauma on why she now does not want to work/various problems in her relationship. Institutionalized racism and other circumstances do hold us back, but it’s important to define the how, and not blame all our actions or words on these circumstances.
I have Saturn in Sag so I tend to hold back when uninformed, or use it as an excuse when I’ve spouted a bunch of emotional opinions being like “yeah but I haven’t researched much (so don’t argue with me.)” It’s better to take the time to read up.
“if you do so you cannot then bring them around to your way of viewing the world.” Its not everyones objective to get others to see the world in the way they do.
This is the thing. Why would you want someone to view the world the way you do? Whats the motivation there and whats the desired result?
Just because Im sharing my worldview that is the culmination of my experiences, research, deep thought etc., doesnt undermine or invalidate yours. They dont cancel eachother out. When someone tells me that they see the world differently, I think to myself “well of course you do, youre a different person”. Nothing can be gained, by pitting the points of view against eachother, because they are truly equal in weight.
I think a wise person tries to integrate the others perspective in some way into their own being. Even if its to see that that the other view is pathological in nature, theres still learning in that knowledge.
Yeah, I don’t know why people think total agreement is desirable or even possible! Even if you think you’re in total agreement with someone, I bet you’re wrong.
Its only possible when an ideology is at play. But buying into ideologies completely negates personal essence.
I think thats what’s happening maybe? Lots of ideologies being thrown at eachother but not a lot of truly critical thinking or realness. Id much rather know, who you are, what have been your experiences and how have you grown than the package that subscribe to. I can and will walk away from a discussion about ideology unless that ideology has been hard won. But ideologies arent hard won. All you have to do is adopt them as your own and voila, you have all your thinking done for you.
Ive been guilty of this in the past, but thats how I know that it sucks to do that.
Well, in a political discussion, which is what I was partly discussing here, in general it is better to have open communication with others to bring them around to your view so they will vote the same way as you and you can bring down your opponents.
In a personal discussion, as was the other example here. Well, the person that blocked me… She did seem to want to bring me over to her point of view. Otherwise she would not have started with the veiled personal attacks.
If someone wants to bring you over to their point of view, as the left do take some pains to often state how everyone who does not think like them is ‘brainwashed’ by the right wing media or whatever it is, then they lose out if they are unable to convince anybody and are simply perceived as hysterical trouble makers.
Furthermore, they start up safe place echo chambers and are genuinely unaware that others do not perceive the world as they do.
This is the function of internet communication as I see it, especially on twitter. It is an unintelligent mash up with no real function except the stale power plays in the material world.
In order to move to a more intelligent discussion like the one you are describing people have to not be messed up and struggling, which then goes back to the ‘stale power plays in the material world’.
Everyone is messed up and struggling. Its not about that. Its about being authentic.
Then what you call power (I call it ego/force) doesn’t even come into it.
That’s an alt right term. For people who are sensitive to racist words. A “special snowflake” who “thinks they deserve better treatment.” Fact is, we have to unpack racist and sexist notions and terminologies, the way they develop is subtle. Black people often complain about how “sensitive white liberals” block the flow of communication by reacting to words, so no speech or catharsis is reached.
I heard an NPR program on how difficult it is to change someone’s political viewpoint by logic alone.. canvassers had to use a tale from their life and connect to the person they were speaking to. Political viewpoints are often strongly emotion based. This show Hidden Brain covers it a lot, reading an article where it name checks some book called The Influential Mind.
I don’t believe that “arguments breed truth”.. I believe that people tend to stick to their viewpoints and not all can “handle the truth.” Then again, what was Socrates doing?
I have heard the idea that “people were more robust” and something like they wouldn’t cotton to PC culture from people who grew up in the 70s. I just don’t know, but I believe them. American education was also higher quality then.
I don’t even think that travel broadens the mind, our tastes and prejudices stay the same. i.e. anywhere people do not give you space to walk down the street but get mad when you force the space is a place will probably hate. Or where old men are permitted to stare at young women for long periods of time without impunity and most people don’t care. Or anywhere with cramped coffee places where everyone can see you. Aka anywhere Mediterranean.
I don’t find debate as important. I think it’s more important to educate oneself, read, and know one’s shit/question oneself when they take a side than start arguing with an internet person once you do. Again, I don’t think most people are equipped to open their mind to someone of an opposing viewpoint. But, reading a book from a professor that doesn’t talk back, but disagrees with a writer of a book you like, can be productive.
Also, I think for humans belonging is important. Having others affirm our viewpoint and talking about our mutual complaints helps us feel safer about what we feel. I.e. I’m here enjoying an astrology blog rather than exhausting myself reading an anti astrology blog.
Out in the world, I talk to many people who disagree with the subtleties of the things that irritate me (i.e. the disempowering violating feeling of an old man leering at you for a length of time then taking offense when you call him on it.) It can easily feel like being “gaslit” (which is deemed a “snowflake” term), but really the other person doesn’t have this neurosis or insecurity. But, they do have other ones. Which is what I find out when I read their chart. Often people put me down for my issues, but have their own.
That terrarium pic is beautiful.
I enjoyed reading this:)
Thanks, girl. I’m in a foul mood tonight so nice to hear. I read this quote and it immediately set something free in me “As Roxanne Gay put it when speaking to Vox, “There are a lot of consequences to living in a body, and to living in a woman’s body. I think you spend your entire life on display, whether you want to be or not. I’m very interested in exploring that, and how we live with that.””
That “on display” thing speaks to me. I can’t chastise every single one for making me uncomfortable with their objectification/disapproval/negation of me as a woman (even though nowadays many articles talk about how important it is to talk back to creepy dudes/people who spread their legs out on the subway.) With my Mars/Pluto transit it seems like I defend myself feverishly against discomforts I can’t control, and that are as deep as the culture. But, managing the discomfort productively without internalizing anger is hard. I think when girls “feel ugly” and do what they can to be approved of, there’s some subtle sexism there. When it takes up lots of real estate in your mind as it does for me. I think it goes beyond being shallow or ego driven. Being “on display” and found wanting makes it harder to focus on stuff I want to work on. I compare it to being intermittently stung by bees. idk, it’s a problem I’m being called on to solve. I have deeper problems than my appearance and its worth in the world. Nor are people who objectify me out to get me.
A lot of girls in some pretty patriarchal countries I visited don’t feel that way.. they think if someone stares at them it’s normal or they can tell them to go away. Yeah well. Objectification is such a subtle thing, it’s difficult to describe. Sometimes it’s nice when someone puts a word to the subtle discomfort.
I was reading W Kamau Bell’s autobiography a billion times.. (he does this show called United Shades of America) there’s this chapter where he talks about how good it felt to get some black producers and writers for his show (which used to have an all white crew).. they all would ride in the same van and talk about issues in a vernacular where they wouldn’t have to explain subtle things.
Sometimes talking to people who get the nuances of who you are is more healing.
Yes, its good to be truthful about your experiences, even if someone else could experience the same incident and take away something totally different, all of that is stil valid.
I think the tricky thing is knowing that your impression of the incident is entirely personal to you, although you might find a lot of parallels with others, you might not too.
But a lot of people tend to go on a rampage defending people who have never asked for it or behaving as if they represent everyone whos had that same experience. Everyone needs to be able to speak for themselves.
From my perspective, idk about being truthful (I wouldn’t lie, just saying what I feel).
I mean knowing it’s personal in theory is one thing.. but dissecting what actually happened, how you reacted, what the triggers were for your reaction.. is a way to emancipate yourself and truly understand that it’s personal. Rather than carry it like a disclaimer. In my case, there can be a disconnect between my intuition of a situation and what someone actually thought behind it.
Lena Dunham tweeted some time back some weird tweet about how Odell Beckham ignored her cause she was wearing a tuxedo or something to an event (her chart is similar to mine.) It caused a shitstorm.
Interestingly, in that very article talking about objectification of women based on clothing/Lena Dunham’s racist assumptions.. there was this quote describing his mom:
“Standing nearby, looking modelish in a sleek black cocktail dress, his mother, Heather Van Norman, seemed unconcerned that her high-wattage son might wither under the New York media glare.”
Also, words are so powerful, they describe the tweet as a “dust up” or a “fumble” and trivialize it.
I’ve gone off topic again, but yes, being offended, for instance, for another race is often a waste of time. It’s more important to listen to that race and understand their point of view rather than mince words by being offended. America’s culture of racism/classism is too nuanced to ban words.. and racism is a mental illness.
I guess I wonder, what is the actual truth of the experience. I always feel relief when my negative impression was negated (obviously) or even validated. But then I do dwell on it.
For me, personally, it’s someone who’s easily offended by everything, who thinks with their feelings (different from intuition), who’s entitled, and blames everything for the problems in their lives. It’s akin to being called a ‘delicate flower’, or a ‘princess.’ A good example is a 29 year old guy who lives in his parents’ basement, complains about it, yet does nothing about it.
I do agree with some Liberal/Democrat views, so I’ve been called a Snowflake at times, but I do believe that the term is overused.
There’s something I don’t like about using snowflake to describe someone like this. All of those are different issues. “Thinking with your feelings” (related to arguing about specific subjects) and “blaming stuff for your problems” (related to how you see your life) are two different things, separate from being entitled. I think that “thinking with your feelings” doesn’t make you a delicate flower.. it makes you someone who doesn’t examine your thoughts and assumptions and a bad arguer. It means you’re overreacting and not dissecting why you think something/what you’re saying. Blaming stuff for your problems is also analyzing your life incorrectly. It’s kind of not defining your terms or looking deeply into your thought process… which is not being accountable for your views and being a bad thinker/arguer. We need to be more “aware” of these things and dissect them.
We need to know *why* things are triggering and begin to uproot how they came about. It’s not enough to ban the use of slurs, why did they come about? What feelings do they engender in us?
I think being dumb/reactive and unaccountable and being a “delicate flower” are two different things. Conservatism or reaction is negatively defined as keeping the status quo out of fear. Both are dumb, emotional reactions that necessitate thought and analysis.
A lot of inequality is engendered through years of thought manipulation and it is rewarding to examine it. Others are doing it and my mouth always gapes when I read it.
And the lack of representation is a manipulative thing too. The way I felt when I looked at this mag called Maroon World was sort of revelatory and tiring (it showcases the daily lives of black, Latino, brown people broadly called POC from their own lens in photos) .. I never saw stuff like this before and I could have. The creatives behind the magazine were stopped from using photos like this in ad campaigns cause they’re “too black.” Nothing much is going on in the photos.
What I’m trying to say is, if you’re thinking with your feelings, you are unaware that you’re doing it. If you realized that you were, you’d probably adjust. Same as blaming your problems on your circumstances. To redirect, you’d have to think about how you arrived at this conclusion and dissect your assumptions. It’s a long process.
I “think with my feelings” (Moon/Mercury) and sometimes when people outline how I am reactive, it makes me feel gobsmacked. I just didn’t know. It takes me time to pull thoughts apart.
I don’t think a conservative calling someone by this name fits this description any less. Being “delicate” (and blaming circumstances) is the opposite of toughness. It’s the opposite of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and being accountable. Quite a high bar to set. And I don’t think a conservative calling a liberal a snowflake on the internet meets this standard.
Yeah, there are still under-representation of minorities. It’s sad.
That’s not what I meant by snowflake, though. But, I get what you’re trying to say. It’s good to feel something when you see injustice.
I always saw ‘Snowflake’ as something that was targeted towards Millennials, though. Like someone who feels like everyone owes them something.
Or, someone who can’t handle differing opinions.
I have to say that not every Generation Y person realizes that they think they’re special, and when someone proves it to them, it’s quite a rude awakening. We stop to reflect at least for a bit.
One difference between the generation that grew up in the 70s and mine is..I don’t know, I think that sort of every person desires to feel special?? To be significant? Isn’t realizing how special we aren’t the core of existentialism? Then again, when I read the biographies of Victorian people, I don’t get the sense they felt so special or expected much from life.
It’s almost like.. the things your family says to you and instills in you is instinctual until you or someone else shines a light (which makes bugs scatter).. when you are little, you don’t have much power and so much that is done to you feels par for course.. that’s a lot of why children who are neglected feel low self worth or unable to verbalize and manage emotions.. you sort of realize how your mom shaped you.. but it doesn’t happen overnight.. for instance.. I saw a show where before a date, a girl’s friend told her “Remember, you’re the prize” and I realized my mom never says that to me (but rather, what makeup did you wear/what did you say/what did you do wrong).. also she often tries to dissolve the “self righteous anger” I get when someone treats me ambiguously bad.. these messages we uncover over time..same as realizing we think we’re special.. other generations maybe just didn’t have that conditioning.. seeing a widely differing world view can be shocking
No realizing our divinity is the core of existentialism. What youre talking about is self esteem, which is not divinely granted, but earned through overcoming challenges, attempting to reach goals and being helpful to your fellow man. Thats what Gen Y was never taught. That you have to give to get.
Every human being is pure potential, yes, but that doesnt count for shit if you dont do anything with it (not you personally). Maybe if we went back to a system where respect was earned, we would be better off? I wonder about that.
“What youre talking about is self esteem, which is not divinely granted, but earned through overcoming challenges, attempting to reach goals and being helpful to your fellow man.”
Agree about that. Learned that from Elsa’s blog. I have to say that it’s sad that someone notices they can’t feel good about themselves until later in life.. so much pain during the younger years.
However, about the special thing, I’m not sure it’s just self esteem. It’s more like.. wanting to be different from others. Something related to the 5th house, being distinctive in a good way. I don’t think that liking yourself and feeling or being special are the same thing. Lady Gaga is special. I’m not sure why no one is special, but it is this way.
I don’t agree that existentialism is “not realizing your own divinity.” I think that’s quite a cavalier brush off of a larger philosophical movement and sounds a bit suspect. (Although thinking about it.. existential despair about no higher power doesn’t totally include the idea that each person has some sort of drop of the infinite..) then again, I’m not super well read in existentialism.. nor do I think realizing one’s own divinity (which isn’t provable?) saves us from existential dread.
When I think of “realizing one’s own divinity,” I think of Vedanta. I don’t know that Buddhism has a concept like this.
In my experience, I didn’t have a strong notion of the concept of “respect” or “earning it” for a very long time. It’s not taught in social life, school, or in the home and it’s something unsaid as you learn when you navigate in the world.. and you lose other’s respect. I think a lot of millenials learned about the power of failure and survival during the recession. It may have shocked them.
The generation with a stellium in Capricorn and especially the Uranus/Neptune with Pluto in Sag generation seems to learn how to hustle earlier than the Pluto in Scorpio one did. There are a lot of new music artists who came from nothing but did it through Soundcloud or handing a mixtape to someone, etc. I’m inspired and intimidated and sad watching them. Also I wonder how Pluto in Sag people hustle harder than my generation.
Advertising and various undercurrents in American society (sounds super vague I know) obscure our understanding of self esteem, women are subtly taught to “be” and not “do” especially.. to question their current state. Yet, doing is what demonstrates our capability to ourselves. Doing is empowering, and doing big things. I haven’t watched many martial arts movies or movies where a student is a younger man and the master is an older man.. (I think of The Sword in the Stone), but it seems like someone like this would teach principles like respect through various lessons. I wish I had something like this. We have to unlearn programming that keeps us doubting ourselves and having shitty self esteem.. which is conducive to capitalism and patriarchy (i.e. to get makeup to be skinny, light skinned, young and valuable to men.. to buy a car in order to appear rich and cool..all the typical examples). Consumption is passive. Need is also passive.
I have a fraught relationship with wanting to be special (Sun/Chiron in the 5th) and learning to do instead of be in order to have real self esteem (Mars in Capricorn in the 12th stationary retrograde.) I am going through my Mars/Pluto transit. Saving my own ass is slow going and I’m childbearing age and being a child myself is messed up.
I cannot keep up with you kri:) I think youre one of those people that I could talk to for hours about a million different things at once. Youre very multilayered in your thinking, I really appreciate it.
Thanks girl 🙂 It’s the Mercury opposition Neptune. Generally a bit muddled and go too many places.
I would appreciate your combining your comments. For starters, I get an email every time you post. You’re killing me.
Sorry. I was in a super bad place that night and had a lot to say. Won’t comment so much in the future.
Sorry I’m commenting so much and veering off topic so much.. I’m in a super bad mood tonight
Its funny, I also see the rise of the term “snowflake” as reflecting the times. I suspect though that it gets used as a way for people to avoid responsibility for their own actions.
I’ve seen it work in this context. Someone is mouthing off, and behaving badly and someone calls them to account for their behaviour (or challenges them on the faults in their argument). Instead of looking at the impact of what they’re doing or actually taking responsibility for their words by engaging in a debate, the person instead resorts to name calling.
When a person uses the term “snowflake” what they’re actually saying is that YOU’RE the one with a problem, you don’t have the right to have a response to their actions, and they should be able to act without any feedback or disapproval from others. At worst, they’re insisting that they should be the final word on a subject, a law unto themselves.
In reality free speech is a right that comes with responsibilities. This means that if you say something, someone may well disagree with you (it happens to me all the time!). This is a fair (and expected) consequence to your actions.
Wow, “snowflake” produces quite a blizzard!
Nothing lukewarm here, pretty rich subject.
Hope Kri’s bad mood has flown over, but it was quite productive and very interesting!
Thanks, Satsun. I feel better. I was just really freaked out cause I was bout to do some stressful stuff and in a nervous tizzy. Shout outz to LibraNoir for being a friend 🙂
I have Moon/Mercury so I have tended to need to talk when upset. Even if not referencing what I’m upset about at all (it fell under my 12th house.)
Truth be told.. I’m annoyed at the way I communicate, it’s circuitous and wrong in a lot of ways.
My family just landed so I can say that they were visiting and it stressed the shit out of me.. sure enough there were plenty of arguments.. a lot of Mars and Chiron transits for me.. I was waiting in the apt for them to come down when I was typing and spinning my wheels
It’s used mostly for political reasons of course. I’m not a fan. Maybe I’ll add it to the thread of words I’m sick of hearing. I’m not a “snowflake”. I can discuss pretty much anything with people I totally disagree with as long as they don’t become erratic. I have no desire to get riled up with people. One of my best skills is being able to discuss pretty much anything while remaining stoic and under control. Thanks Aqua moon and Mercury/Saturn/Pluto aspects.
I love talking to people and always keeping my mind open to different views. It makes life interesting. I can think one thing today and tomorrow a conversation can make me view things in a totally different light. That’s the key. Keeping an open mind and realizing that you may not always be right.
Thanks, Kri.
I wonder if it’s connected to Chiron in Pisces, or maybe even Neptune, given the time that the term “snowflake” was coined. I’m more inclined towards Chiron. The darker side of Pisces victim mentality, real or perceived or projected onto another, victim blaming.
It seems like the snowflake slur is mainly used to shut people up and shout them down, by preying on a perceived ‘weakness’. After all, nobody likes to be called a snowflake. That anybody who has the gumption to speak up about issues, especially ones that are sensitive or controversial in nature. Issues that triggers (yes, another term!) a reaction that makes the opponent feel uncomfortable (especially if they are the cause/contributer of the first person’s complaint), so the opponent retaliates with the snowflake slur. It’s one step up from the age old, “hey c’mon, it’s just a joke, don’t be so sensitive!”. Thus absolving the opponent by pushing the responsibility onto the first person, who would end up feeling like THEY need to learn a lesson and toughen up.
I feel that it’s sending a conflicting message though collectively. There is so much awareness of mental health issues, campaigns everywhere, huge emphasis on depression and anxiety, people being encouraged to talk and share openly, connect to others, or to call various helplines. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s also not okay to not be okay, don’t be such a delicate snowflake, and buck up buttercup. Confused muchly? Maybe it’s time for society to pick one and stick to it.
In the 70’s, we had, “I’m okay, you’re okay”.
It was a lot easier to live at that time.
“Live and let live.”
That was another nugget of the day.
I used to be a snowflake but I figured out this thing called “self-responsibility.” Then I slapped myself silly. I’m better now.
Raising kids with this as a backdrop is rough. A lot of things now – looking back to when I was a kid, I feel like my parents had it so much easier. Couldn’t say for sure, but it seems that way.
I can say that I’m tired of offending someone who thinks the words I use are derogatory when they are simply words to describe or name something.
Don’t know if I mentioned this.. but I’m amazed with the way the “participation trophy” Pluto in Sag generation of 20 year olds is growing up. A lot of them are making music and art very early and getting on Soundcloud or whatever as fully embodied artists. They are more energetic than my generation. They work hard and go DIY using the online medium. I don’t get it. (I’m referring to artists I randomly discover like zack villere, Sheck Wes, Cuco, Lou the Human, critic Ernest Baker, Banes World, Frankie Cosmos, Manon Macasaet, MaryV Benoit, all the Soundcloud rapper dudes who are here to stay like it or not.. and on and on..)
I’ve seen this as well.
Why do you think it is? I can’t figure it out.
For one thing, musicians tend to peak in their 20’s so that’s not unusual. That they are doing it on their own is what’s impressive. And the work and everything around and about it is good and ORIGINAL.
This cookie cutter bullshit.. cut and paste, Disney princess grows into X, just isn’t interesting to highly creative people. You’ve got no choice but to go your own way.
Yeah I’m an effing snowflake. But now I just own it.
Too much human crap and labeling triggering depression? Just say no. People trying to get me to do something that leaves me empty? No. People trying to tell me how they don’t like such and such (racial or ethnic or miniority) group of people? GTFO. (Obviously not literally GTFO but just out of my head.)
This is what goes on in my head. If need be, I just breathe through it and let the older folks say what they have to say. Then I might say that I don’t agree and I’ve seen such and such person from said (racial or ethnic or minority) group not be what they said (because they’re just people figuring shit out too). Then I try to change the subject.
I do what I have to do and then I enjoy my life. When I have recharged, I volunteer, go to school, work part-time. I am appreciative of others, try my best, face my fears. I have worked on my demons. Let’s be real though, I can’t do what it is you guys do, without needing that recharge. (How much do you normal humans usually do?) The world is really negative right now, which is why I have to unplug from external expectations and Facebook etc. and non-snowflake standards -Scorpion Rules of Living
Yeah I think there’s room for dissent and what not. Just don’t get me to talk about politics or a generalization of a group of people without getting VERY uncomfortable.
But I work on contributing love and acceptance and being kind anyway to anybody on this Earth while I still am on it, because I effing care. Because I’m a snowflake.
Obviously y’all hate snowflakes? But, it looks like I am one. And now I just own it. And I live my effing life as a result.
I’m pretty sure everyone is a snowflake then. They just forgot what it feels like.
Not sure if this ties into what you’re saying, but I heard something neat from Dave Ramsey today. He said that EVERY DAY, Millenials call into his show to do their Debt-Free Screams. (When anyone gets rid of all their debt except the mortgage, they qualify to scream that they’re “debt freeeeee!”
He says this generation is killin’ it. They are busting their butts and he is very impressed by their work ethic. So the next time he comes across another article or whatever talking about how lazy and entitled Millenials are…..he might just compile like 5,000 of these screams and blitz that person with them. ?
OMG, I am so tired of this word. If I had a dollar for every time I read that word in an article, a Facebook comment, whatever, I’d be a filthy rich lady. Lol
Anyway, I was a “snowflake” earlier in life, and with planets in Cancer and zero Capricorn, I suppose I’ll always be a bit overly sensitive. But time and circumstance has helped me toughen up some. I don’t ever want to completely lose my softness, however. I tried to kill it off once, and did not like the person I became after that, so I stopped.